Tourism back to normal in October

According to the Bangkok Post, Tourism will be back to normal in October, when the new tourist season starts:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/eco ... in-tourism (http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/143171/b200m-to-be-invested-in-tourism)

By: BangkokPost.com
Published: 13/05/2009 at 03:04 PM The government will invest at least 200 million baht in the private sector to revive the tourism industry, Deputy Prime Minister Kobsak Sabhavasu said on Wednesday.

Mr Kobsak, chairman of the government's Tonkla Archeep employment project, said after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations (Fetta) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) that the 200-million-baht budget would be used for training in the tourism sector.

This investment would save the jobs of about 20,000 employees in the industry in danger of being left unemployed this year, he said.

He predicted tourism would return to normal in October, the beginning of the usual, annual peak period.

The Tonkla Archeep project aims at training and job creation to help about 500,000 unemployed in the country.

Tourism and Sports Minister Chumphol Silpa-archa said the scheme would strengthen the tourism sector. His ministry was working Chinese authorities to attract more Chinese tourists.

Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) president Maiyarat Pheerayakoses said 250,000 employees in the tourism industry could be out of jobs this year if the government had done nothing.

On the overall economic situation, Mr Kobsak said the Bank of Thailand (BoT) should ease loan regulations to help boost private sector liquidity.

He admitted it could be difficult for the central bank to deal with non-performing loans (NPLs) if the regulations were not stringent enough.

"Financial policy has been fully implemented, but monetary policy must help support the economy as well.

"I understand that the central bank could be worried about approving more loans during the economic slump, but if we allow businesses to face problems on their own, NPLs may rise again," the deputy prime minister said.

I'm baffled as to how they "work this one out".

[atri1666]

Sure. Before they should increase airporttax and take some more ATM-fees and introduce an 300 baht money exchange fee and so on. Tourists will like the rip off and come back in millions.

[jinks]

I'm not too sure things will be back to normal.
Airlines are short of reservations........

I have just taken up an Emirates special price if travelling before Dec 8th.

I re-booked my ticket, saved 600+GBP after paying 200 in cancellation fees ... A RESULT !

[Irish1972]

Good deal jinks, I was in a Travel Agents in Pattaya today and the Business fair from here to Europe return was working out at nearly 3k in euro....that was very expensive INHO

Not a chance of tourism being back to normal.

1 Thai baht is up against the $ & ┬г.
2 Some people who visited Thailand previously will now be unemployed, on short time working or have no overtime revenue from work.
3 Some family tourists will avoid Thailand because of the reported aggro & some will not go back after the disruption they had last year.

I still hope to visit, of course.

[krobbie]

I'm not too sure things will be back to normal.
Airlines are short of reservations........

I have just taken up an Emirates special price if travelling before Dec 8th.

I re-booked my ticket, saved 600+GBP after paying 200 in cancellation fees ... A RESULT !

Nice work jinks. One really does have to keep an eye out on the specials. I am also waiting to see what Royal Brunei and Thai come up with for travel over the next six months.

So far they have been great but too early to predict when I am able to travel. By the end of next month will know for sure. I will keep my fingers crossed that a super special such as your comes my way (New Zealand).

Cheers
krobbie

[fedssocr]

I agree this is a pretty overly optimistic forecast. He doesn't put forth much in the way of evidence for this claim.

[bao-bao]

I agree this is a pretty overly optimistic forecast. He doesn't put forth much in the way of evidence for this claim.
It may be overly optimistic, but I'm hoping airfares drop myself.

Anyway... nothing wrong with being optimistic, is there? :cheers:

[youtube:1qwonlvg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKYhk9Qui2g[/youtube:1qwonlvg]

[atri1666]

Good deal jinks, I was in a Travel Agents in Pattaya today and the Business fair from here to Europe return was working out at nearly 3k in euro....that was very expensive INHO

I paid 1550тВм with EVA and at time are good deals also with BA in Business (2 pax) and also Etihad for 1650тВм

[maisoui]

Depends what they think "normal" means. I think we've been reading about downturns for much longer than before Easter.

After having to spend money to avoid Bangkok last month it'll be a while before Bangkok is my asian hub of preference again.

Smiling clowns. :clown: :clown: :clown: :clown: :clown: :clown: :clown: :clown:

Based on what's happening in the rest of the world, I see a slow, or slower tourist season in Thailand than last year. Hopefully we will not have the disruptions we had last year at the airport.

My challenge is how to get the hotels to lower their rates from 2 years ago...

[Dboy]

Well for the sake of the Thai population I certainly HOPE it's back to 'normal' next high season...but I seriously doubt it. They are probably making these calculations based only on the likely rise in world economic activity and have 'forgotten' to factor in all of the bad will that Thailand has been generating towards tourism/farang over the past year. How to factor in all of the would-have-been first-time travelers who will now NEVER visit Thailand? A large part of Thai tourism comes from repeat travelers, compounding the losses. Difficult to put weightings on the various factors that will have a long-time/permanent effect on tourism, but consider:

1) the airport closure
2) riots in the streets
3) "suicides" of foreigners
4) 15-day visa at border crossings
5) violence in the south
6) general political instability (details not to be mentioned)
7) the new ATM fees
8) rampant police corruption
9) Bangkok street scams ('temple closed', 'diamond shop', etc)
10) terrorism threat (Bangkok, Pattaya), anywhere with crowds

1) the airport closure
2) riots in the streets
3) "suicides" of foreigners
4) 15-day visa at border crossings
5) violence in the south
6) general political instability (details not to be mentioned)
7) the new ATM fees
8) rampant police corruption
9) Bangkok street scams ('temple closed', 'diamond shop', etc)
10) terrorism threat (Bangkok, Pattaya), anywhere with crowds

Of these ten points, only 1, 4, and 7 can be considered "new". The rest have been part of the scenery for the past 50 years.

I can hardly imagine anyone canceling a trip to Thailand because of ATM fees. And the number of genuine tourists arriving via land border crossings who want to stay more than 15 days is, I'd imagine, a very, very small number compared to the total. And those people can easily obtain a 60-day tourist visa from any Thai embassy or consulate in advance, if they want.

I agree with BB,

Also - Exchange rates need to get better quickly or tourist numbers will continue to decline. Another huge problem is the airport taxes in travellers home countries, London Heathrow its around ┬г220 now so the airlines prices can only drop so much before they are running at a big loss. The future doesnt look good for the budget travellerand family group tourism, but us addicts will always find a way and cope with whatever is happening in thailand as we have done for many years.

[thrillbill]

I have to say my 2 bahts worth... The government has their head in the sand if they think tourism will get back to normal by October. If so then they are also saying that the world's sluggish, shrinking economy will get back to normal within 6 months -NOT. True, maybe they can bring in more bus loads of rural Chinese travelors or more Indian families to hit the curry buffets, but it will just make a dent.

I hope the economy shoots straight up; for, I am tired of seeing so many dimal looking Thais in the 5 years I have lived here. My heart goes out for them. (I think not only the economy has them down, but just all the poltical bull#hit that has gone on between the yellow, red, blue...whatever the color is of the day.)

[billyhouston]

AirAsia is offering the Dusit Thani on a bogof basis. (Buy one get one free) A sign of the times, perhaps, and good to see that Dusit are not automatically following the local custom of increasing prices when tourism is down.

The offer extends to the end of October as I recall. Low season.